JULY HELP-WANTED INDEX: 25; DOWN ONE POINT
Thursday, August 30th, 2007The Conference Board released its July Help-Wanted Index this morning, showing a one point drop to 25 in line with market expectations. The Index was at 26 in June and at 31 one year ago. Help-wanted advertising declined in all nine regions, with the largest decreases in West North Central, Mountain and Pacific.
The July data showed that online vacancies also declined in July, a “largely seasonal decline of 196,200 or 4.6% from the June level.” This according to The Conference Board Help-Wanted OnLine Data Series.
Conference Board Labor Economist Ken Goldstein said, “Job, but not wage, growth has slowed a little since the spring and it could slow a little more…In part, this reflects an economy that is slower in the third quarter than it was in the second. Both the economy and the job market could be growing a little more slowly in the fourth quarter, but not slowing dramatically. And to date, the data shows no suggestion the economy is in danger of slipping into recession before the year is out.”